Captain Darren Fletcher directs James McClean during their time together at West Brom. (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

What kind of player would Stoke be getting in James McClean?

Stoke will be getting an incredibly hard-working winger, one who leaves everything out on the pitch.

But he is also one who can infuriate at times. Five goals and seven assists from 112 Albion appearances tells its own story, McClean does not always have the end product that would have made a lethal combination with his pace and stamina.

Read More

It will be really interesting to see how he gets on in the Championship though, because it the sort of relentless league that could suit his attributes.

McClean also has a habit of flying into reckless tackles and even though his passion makes him the player he is, he doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes too much. Stoke will need to be willing to take the rough with the smooth.

Read More

Some of the comments he made towards the end of last season about players leaving Albion once they were relegated were almost too honest for his own good and they weren't well-received by many fans (although some did appreciate how candid he was).

But essentially, he is a passionate family man (he has three children with wife Erin) who uses his wealth to help others.

McClean regularly donates money to help those in need from the Derry community he grew up in, and last year he surprised a football team of children with Down's Syndrome by turning up to play against them.

West Brom's James McClean (centre) walks out without a poppy emblem stitched into his shirt before the Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. (Image: PA)

What went wrong last season?

McClean himself believes he wasn't played enough, particularly under Alan Pardew, and considering he featured in all six of Darren Moore's games in charge, perhaps Albion did miss his bite in the tackle.

However, he made a series of high-profile errors throughout the season that cost Albion vital points at vital stages of games.

Read More

Reckless lunging fouls in the last minutes of games gave away needless free-kicks that opposition teams then scored from and he also apologised to his team-mates after turning his back in the wall against Arsenal, leading to a goal.

Following his comments last month, it became obvious that he wanted to leave. The irony is that he's joined another Championship club after saying players should be forgiven for moving back into the Premier League following relegation.

Jon Walters is challenged by James McClean as Stoke and Sunderland play in the snow in February 2012.

What kind of reception will he get when he goes back to the Hawthorns?

Mixed. There will be probably be some who appreciated his efforts in an Albion shirt and will politely clap, but there will also be plenty who will not have forgiven his comments made last month about being a 'snake'.